Ellen Creager: Metro Airport updating its retail lineup

October 28, 2012

Detroit Free Press Travel Diva

I know it's just business, but I wish Ora Oxygen, Pangborn Design and Motown Music Review could be saved.

They are on the chopping block as Detroit Metro Airport's McNamara Terminal refreshes its retail shopping spaces.

In case you missed it, on Oct. 17 the Wayne County Airport Authority announced a near-total overhaul of retail at the 10-year-old terminal. Among the changes:

• Pangborn Design, founded by Detroit designer Dominic Pangborn, makes way for a ZoZo gift shop.

• Ora Oxygen is slated to be replaced by the French-owned Be Relax spa.

• Spanx and the Body Shop will replace Motown Music Review.

Instead of girl groups, we'll get girdles.

Still, the new mix of stores will retain some local flavor, promises Greg Hatcher, WCAA director of concessions and quality assurance.

"We always want to be ahead of the curve, and we believe the mix of national and local concepts and the level of technology will be second to none," he says.

Among the Michigan stores coming in? Ann-Arbor-based Running Fit and a gift store called Detroit!.

New lineup will be phased in

From a financial perspective, the changes make sense. In its first full year of operation, the fresh retail lineup will bring $7.7 million to the airport, up 16.9% over the current program, airport officials say. Vendors together will spend $13.8 million to jazz up retail spaces, according to terms of the 7-year contracts.

Changes will be phased in gradually, with no construction over the holidays.

Still. Ora Oxygen has faithfully stood near Gate A45 since the airport opened in those rough days after 9/11. Pangborn Design is a beautiful, Detroit-based brand.

I have heard that protests or legal action are contemplated by some retailers, so some things are still up in the air, so to speak.

When contacted late last week, Ora Oxygen's daily operations manager had no comment. Pangborn was out of the country and unavailable for comment.

But Hatcher told me that the airport is moving forward with the new plan and "I believe the window has passed" for appeals from stores.

National brands part of the mix

Part of the airport's goal here is to draw sexier and hipper brands to the airport.

The trendy Spanish clothing store Desigual is slated to replace the Michigania gift shop and Gayle's Chocolates. Pandora will be where Forever Silver is now and Creative Kidstuff will mow down Harley-Davidson. Tim Hortons, a Canadian-Michigan favorite, is slated to open coffee counters inside newsstands.

Other new stores include Johnston & Murphy, Porsche Design, Dylan's Candy Bar, EA Sports and several newsstands. Birmingham-based Mills Pharmacy + Apothecary will be part of a new store called Z Market.

The large concessionaires that operate several stores at Metro will include Paradies Shops Inc., HDS & Partners and Host International. Delaware North's contract expires.